


The Connectivity of Learning

by krononan



Category: The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (TV)
Genre: Friendship, Mentor/Protégé, Other, commission
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-05
Updated: 2019-12-05
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:13:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,113
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21686587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/krononan/pseuds/krononan
Summary: When skekOk is forced to take a gelfling apprentice, he is not thrilled. However, he soon finds Princess Brea of Ha'rar to be an excellent study partner.Vignettes of their friendship up to the end of season one.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 19





	The Connectivity of Learning

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! This was a commission from ProfCinnaRollz on discord. Exploring the skeksis kinder sides is always something that I find fascinating. I hope I did skekOk justice. This is an unedited first draft, so forgive any horrible errors. Read and enjoy!

“skekOk!” 

skekOk turned and scowled at the familiar whining tone of the Chamberlain. The times when other skeksis visited skekOk in the library were rare, but frustrating occurrences. 

“skekSil. To what do I owe this pleasure?”

“Was talking with Emperor, yes? Decided a change was to be had. Agree with Chamberlain, no?”

skekOk gave him a skeptical look.

“What kind of change?”

“skekOk will take gelfling,” the Chamberlain wrung his hands and whined, “apprentice, hmm? To help with scrolls.”

* * *

The All-Maudra herself announced her youngest would be interested in the position. If nothing else, it would be an intriguing political hold for him. 

“I am Princess Brea. It is an honor to meet you,” she said, bowing low. Her mother looked on with a stern expression.

“I am skekOk, the Scroll Keeper,” he said, trying to keep the disdain from leaking into his voice. As much as he thought that gelfling were crude, he did have a reputation to uphold. “I am looking forward to working with you.”

That was far from the truth. He assigned her odd jobs around the library, mostly cleaning. To his surprise, she was glad to work on anything in the library. 

* * *

One evening he found the young gelfling reading in a small alcove after she had finished dusting.

“You can read, gelfling?” skekOk asked. He tried to contain his shock, for he was not aware that many of them could. It would be nice to have another intellectual in the castle. skekLach had become so boring after her so called incident with “knowledge”. 

“Yes, I learned from the Librarian of Ha’rar.”

“Really? What sorts of things do you read about?”

“Well, history, and all sorts of other things.”

skekOk paused. Although he was hesitant to ask a gelfling questions, his curiosity won him over.

“How do gelfling keep records of history?”

Brea was glad to explain.

* * *

It was rare to find someone with such a voracious appetite for knowledge. skekOk delighted in their research times, and sometimes forgot that his research assistant was a gelfling. They had gone on a hunt in search for information on a rare type of mushroom until the early hours of the morning. skekOk looked up from his book and adjusted his spectacles. Across from him, Brea was sitting in one of the large armchairs with a large tome in her arms. 

She was fast asleep, and leaning against the oversized side of the chair. skekOk smiled fondly and gathered up a blanket from where it lay on the couch. He draped it over her and blew out the lantern without a word.

* * *

It was after one of these research sessions that skekOk was surprised to run into the Chamberlain in the hall.

“skekSil. You’re up late,” he said with caution.

“Yes, Chamberlain just here to check up on Scroll Keeper. Have been spending lot of time with gelfling, no?” Chamberlain asked, quirking his head.

skekOk scowled and pushed past the smaller skeksis. He kept his eyes anywhere but the Chamberlain as he continued his way back to his chambers. 

“I don’t know what you are talking about, Chamberlain. Now if you’ll excuse me, I am tired.”

“Scroll Keeper should be careful, yes? Do not want other skeksis to get wrong idea. But no worry. Chamberlain understands.”

* * *

The next time that a skeksis confronted him about Brea it was much of the same. They were having their nightly feast and Brea burst in with an exciting new development in their research on mushrooms. 

“skekOk! You won’t believe what I found on the growing of-” she stopped mid sentence as Var stood from his seat. skekOk cringed as the larger skeksis puffed out his chest and addressed Brea.

“What is this? What is the reason for this intrusion, gelfling?”

Brea stuttered and skekOk rose to his feet. He was one of the less temperamental skeksis, preferring to devote his time to intellectual pursuits. However, something about his friend cowering away from his brethren enraged a dormant fire within him.

“That is my assistant, skekVar, and you will address her with respect.”

* * *

skekOk was simply reading through a large tome on gelfling culture when he heard the raucous shouting coming from the halls.

“General killed All-Maudra, yes! Dangerous choice. Let gelfling flee,” Chamberlain said.

“Shut up, you impudent fool,” the Ritual Master snapped back, “This is exactly what we needed.”

skekOk peeked his head out through the doorway and frowned. At the mention of the All-Maudra he was intrigued. He thought of Brea, hopeful that she was not involved.

“Princess and Rian escaped, yes. Dangerous, very dangerous this is.”

At the mention of a princess skekOk’s heart dropped. Dread pooled in his stomach at the thought of Brea on the run. 

* * *

The shouts and screams of the castle guard echoed throughout the halls. skekOk caught movement out of the corner of his eye. 

A gelfling in a guard’s uniform darted out in front of him. The pale hair gave him pause. He froze for a second, with one question on his mind. Brea? He shook his head and focused on the Vapran gelfling running from him.

He rushed forward and seized her by the cloak.

“Please! No!” She screamed, and her hands scrabbled at skekOk’s closed fist.

skekOk looked at her, and for a moment, he saw Brea staring back at him with fear. He shook his head. She was pleading with him. He resolved himself not to look as he dragged her down the hall.

* * *

The next time that he saw Brea he was glad that he did not have to pretend he was not shocked. The Hunter’s presence alone was a surprise, but he paid him no attention. He could hear Brea screaming inside, and tried to keep himself from rushing to help. 

skekSil gave him an odd look, but otherwise stayed silent. He knew that the chamberlain was most likely conniving in some way or another but could not bring himself to care. 

* * *

He was surprised to see Brea on the battlefield. She was alone, with a sword that he could’ve used as a toothpick. skekLach loomed over her, ready to bring her sword down with a fatal strike. 

“No!”

skekOk moved with the swiftness of one of the warrior skeksis. He crashed into skekLach, whose eyes flicked between himself and Brea. 

She had seen. He was terrified.

* * *

By the end of the conflict, he had nothing to worry about. skekLach was gone, obliterated into green goo not unlike the ooze from her pustules. He breathed easy, although he did have to fake mourning when he was among his other skeksis. He would not regret that choice. Brea was his friend.


End file.
